The survey is used by national and local government, a wide range of individuals and heritage groups to establish the extent of risk and to help assess priorities for action and funding decisions.
The register is accompanied by a summary that provides key statistics and includes: Each entry is given a priority for action, ranging from A: "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration/loss of fabric and no solution agreed", to F: "repair scheme in progress (and where applicable) end user found".
[8] This was produced annually by Historic England until 2008, when the scope was extended to include all heritage assets that receive some measure of legal protection through the designation system.
[9] Since 2009, each annual report has focused on a particular category of asset: The Heritage at Risk Register data produced by Historic England is an official statistic.
[17] Every two years since 1996, the World Monuments Watch produces a list of international cultural heritage around the globe that is at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change.
Historic Environment Local Management (HELM) in the UK has identified some common themes: After the Great Recession, English Heritage was concerned that the progress made over the previous decade could soon stall or be reversed due to the economic climate.
They claim that despite contributing an estimated £20.6 billion annually to the economy, the heritage sector is facing disproportionate cuts both locally and nationally.